Children should be taught "real subjects", David Willetts said

Shadow education secretary David Willetts told the party's conference that "more and more, we treat children as though they are adults".

He also told delegates in Bournemouth that teachers accused of inappropriate behaviour deserved anonymity unless they were charged with a crime.

He said he would press for changes to the education bill, to include this.

Deprivation

He told the conference: "Teachers tell me that they now have children coming to their class who have never held a crayon, who have never seen a book, who have never had an adult read them a story.

"That is real deprivation."

Children also needed space to play, he said - but this space was rapidly being eroded.

"The average area within which a child in Britain roams freely now has shrunk in one generation to a ninth of what it used to be.

"We have just one acre of playground for our children for every 80 acres of golf courses."

Boundaries

But he added that parents did not need the state to tell them how to raise their children.

"It's very tough being a parent," he said. "The last thing they need is new laws and regulations tell them how they should raise their own children."

Calling for accused teachers to be granted anonymity, he said one untrue allegation could end a teacher's career.

He also called for students to study "real subjects" such as single sciences rather than general science.

Respect

He told delegates in Bournemouth: "If we show teachers respect, we can expect something from teachers in return.

"A commitment to teaching real subjects.

"Jamie Oliver has had a massive impact on school dinners, with kids getting real food at lunchtime. But they need to get real subjects during the school day as well.

"They shouldn't just do general science - every child has a right to do real, individual sciences - biology, physics, chemistry. That's something else we'll be pressing for in the education bill."

Shaun Bailey, who runs a charity helping youngsters in deprived areas, told the conference that children needed clear boundaries.

He said many youngsters wore so-called hoodies to hide and save themselves from being attacked by other more violent teenagers.

The best way to tackle gang culture was to support the family, "putting morality back into children".